Monday, November 19, 2018

Mumbai: A 39-year-old woman was held at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Friday, for allegedly attempting to fly to Oman using a fake visa. She is accused of not disclosing to the Bureau of Immigration that she was planning to go there to seek employment, and instead posing as a tourist.

The woman, Shailaja Vasu, a native of Kerala’s Kollam district, reached the immigration counter at the airport at 6 pm. She was to take a jet Airways flight to Muscat at 10.15 pm. When quizzed by immigration authorities about the purpose of her visit to Oman, Vasu produced a visit visa containing details of the person she was to stay with in Muscat, the police said.

However, when the immigration officer checked the status of her passport, he noticed that she was yet to be granted Emigration Clearance by the Protector of Emigrants, an office under the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. The clearance is required for Indian nationals, who wish to work in 18 countries in the Middle East and South East Asia. So when Vasu’s passport status showed Emigration Check Required, the immigration officer probed further.
19/11/18 Srinath Rao/Indian Express